U.S. patent number 10,065,204 [Application Number 15/004,082] was granted by the patent office on 2018-09-04 for dual flow disperser.
The grantee listed for this patent is Dennis Neal. Invention is credited to Dennis Neal.
United States Patent |
10,065,204 |
Neal |
September 4, 2018 |
Dual flow disperser
Abstract
A disperser system includes a disperser body that defines a
substantially air-tight chamber therein. A sprayer assembly
includes a passage, a fluid coupling, a nozzle, a valve, a valve
trigger and a pouch. The passage is in fluid communication with the
chamber. The valve is in fluid communication with both the passage
and the fluid coupling and opens to the nozzle. The valve trigger
is configured selectively to open the valve, thereby placing the
passage and the fluid coupling in fluid communication with the
nozzle. The pouch contains a fluid. When the chamber is charged
with a gas and when the valve is opened, the gas flows through the
passage and the fluid flows through the fluid coupling into the
valve so that the gas entrains the fluid and delivers a suspension
of the gas and the fluid to the nozzle, out of which the suspension
is sprayed.
Inventors: |
Neal; Dennis (Auburn, GA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Neal; Dennis |
Auburn |
GA |
US |
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Family
ID: |
56009273 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/004,082 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20160144386 A1 |
May 26, 2016 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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13767965 |
Feb 15, 2013 |
9242787 |
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61599603 |
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/046 (20130101); B05B 7/1209 (20130101); B05B
7/2418 (20130101); B65D 83/42 (20130101); B65D
83/62 (20130101); B05B 7/2427 (20130101); B05B
11/047 (20130101); B65D 83/44 (20130101); B65D
83/201 (20130101); B65D 83/66 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/00 (20060101); B65D 83/66 (20060101); B65D
83/62 (20060101); B65D 83/42 (20060101); B65D
83/44 (20060101); B65D 83/20 (20060101); B05B
11/04 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report and
the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority; PCT
Serial No. PCT/US2014/012921; dated May 15, 2014 (Related case,
commonly owned). cited by applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Valvis; Alexander
Assistant Examiner: Dandridge; Christopher R
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bockhop; Bryan W. Bockhop
Intellectual Property Law, LLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/767,965, filed on Feb. 15, 2013 and issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 9,242,787, which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/599,603, filed Feb. 16,
2012, the entirety of both of which is hereby incorporated herein
by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A disperser system, comprising: (a) a disperser body, having a
top portion, defining a substantially air-tight chamber therein;
(b) a sprayer assembly disposed adjacent to the top portion, the
sprayer assembly including: (i) a passage in fluid communication
with the chamber; (ii) a fluid coupling; (iii) a nozzle; (iv) a
valve in fluid communication with both the passage and the fluid
coupling and opening to the nozzle; and (v) a valve trigger
configured selectively to open the valve, thereby placing the
passage and the fluid coupling in fluid communication with the
nozzle; and (c) a pouch configured to contain a fluid in fluid
communication with the fluid coupling; wherein when the chamber is
charged with a gas that has a pressure greater than ambient
pressure and when the valve is opened, the gas will flow through
the passage and the fluid will flow through the fluid coupling into
the valve so that the gas passing through the valve entrains the
fluid and delivers a suspension of the gas and the fluid to the
nozzle, out of which the suspension is sprayed, the valve including
an elongated valve stem that passes through the passage, the valve
stem including a solid portion that blocks the passage when the
solid portion is aligned with the passage, the valve stem defining
a hole passing therethrough that allows gas from the chamber to
pass through the passage when the hole is aligned with the passage
without liquid fluid passing through the passage, the valve trigger
configured to place the valve stem into a first position in which
the solid portion blocks the passage so as not to allow either gas
or liquid fluid to pass into the nozzle, the valve trigger also
configured to place the valve stem into a second position in which
the hole is aligned with the passage so that gas from the chamber
is allowed to pass through the passage without liquid fluid passing
therethrough so as to clear the nozzle, the valve trigger also
configured to place the valve stem into a third position in which
the coupling is in fluid communication with the passage so as to
allow both liquid fluid and gas from the chamber to pass into the
nozzle; and (d) an electrically-driven air pump that pumps air from
outside of the dispenser body into the chamber.
2. The disperser system of claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven
air pump is powered by a battery.
3. The disperser system of claim 2, wherein the battery comprises a
detachable and rechargeable battery.
4. The disperser system of claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven
air pump is disposed within the chamber and is in fluid
communication with air outside of the dispenser body through a
vent.
5. The disperser system of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a
fluid selected from a group consisting of: an adhesive; a paint; an
oil; an insecticide; a liquid; a powder; and combinations
thereof.
6. The disperser system of claim 1, wherein the pouch includes a
bottom, a sidewall and a top, wherein the top is configured to be
punctured by the coupling when the pouch is placed against the
sprayer assembly.
7. The disperser system of claim 1, wherein the gas comprises a gas
selected from a group consisting of: air; carbon dioxide; nitrogen;
helium and combinations thereof.
8. The disperser system of claim 1, further comprising a fitting in
communication with the chamber and configured to allow passage of
pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source into the chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disperser systems and, more
specifically, to a system for dispersing fluids.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different fluids are dispersed in many applications, including
spraying adhesives, spraying paint, spraying cooking oils and
lubricants, and spraying cleaning and other household chemicals.
Many such applications place the fluid to be sprayed in a metal can
with a propellant. Many common propellants include volatile
chemicals that may be flammable and that are not desirable to be
released into the environment. Also, if the propellant falls below
a pressure necessary to move the fluid out of the can while there
is still fluid in the can, then some of the fluid is wasted. Since
many metal spray cans are disposable, this extra fluid (such as in
the case with adhesives, paints and industrial chemicals) can
become an environmental hazard.
Spraying adhesives presents a challenge because many adhesives have
high viscosity levels, sometimes as high as 10,000 cps. With such
viscosities, high propellant pressure is usually required to
disperse the adhesive in a uniform pattern. Manufacturing spray
cans with such high propellant pressures can be challenging.
Therefore, there is a need for a fluid dispersing system that can
be recharged and that is reusable and that can spray viscous fluids
with relatively low pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present
invention which, in one aspect, is a disperser that includes a
disperser body. A collapsible pouch contains a fluid. A disperser
cap assembly is configured to form a substantially air tight seal
with the disperser body so as to define a chamber therein. The
pouch is disposed within the chamber and engages the disperser cap
assembly. The disperser cap assembly defines a passage in fluid
communication with the chamber. The passage is also in fluid
communication with a valve disposed in the disperser cap assembly.
The disperser cap assembly also includes a coupling in fluid
communication with the valve that is configured to fit a portion of
the pouch so as to put the valve in fluid communication with the
fluid. The valve opens to a nozzle. The chamber is configured to
contain a gas at a pressure that is greater than ambient pressure
external to the chamber so that the gas in the chamber applies a
pressure to the pouch. A valve trigger is configured to fluidly
couple the passage and the coupling to the nozzle so that gas from
the chamber flows through the passage into the nozzle and so that
the fluid flows into the passage and is entrained by the gas
flowing through the passage, such that a gas and fluid suspension
is forced out of the nozzle. An electrically-driven air pump pumps
air from outside of the dispenser body into the chamber.
In another aspect, the invention is a disperser system that
includes a disperser body, having a top portion, defining a
substantially air-tight chamber therein. A sprayer assembly is
disposed adjacent to the top portion. The sprayer assembly includes
a passage, a fluid coupling, a nozzle, a valve, a valve trigger and
a pouch. The passage is in fluid communication with the chamber.
The valve is in fluid communication with both the passage and the
fluid coupling and opens to the nozzle. The valve trigger is
configured selectively to open the valve, thereby placing the
passage and the fluid coupling in fluid communication with the
nozzle. The pouch is configured to contain a fluid in fluid
communication with the fluid coupling. When the chamber is charged
with a gas that has a pressure greater than ambient pressure and
when the valve is opened, the gas will flow through the passage and
the fluid will flow through the fluid coupling into the valve so
that the gas passing through the valve entrains the fluid and
delivers a suspension of the gas and the fluid to the nozzle, out
of which the suspension is sprayed.
In yet another aspect, the invention is a method of dispersing a
fluid, in which the fluid, which is contained in a pouch, is placed
into a chamber and the pouch is coupled so that the fluid is in
communication with a valve. The chamber is pressurized with a gas.
Gas is delivered from the chamber to the valve. The fluid is
entrained in the gas at the valve so as to form a suspension of the
fluid and the gas. The suspension is delivered to a nozzle from
which the suspension is sprayed.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from
the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in
conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one
skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the
invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and
scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of one embodiment of a
disperser.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a first side elevational view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a second side elevational view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5,
taken along line 6-6 along with a detail.
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a pouch.
FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic diagrams showing opening of the
valve.
FIGS. 9A-9B are schematic diagrams showing puncturing of the
pouch.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment with an
on-board electric air pump.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail.
Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts
throughout the views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in
the disclosure that follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn
to scale. As used in the description herein and throughout the
claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated
herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning
of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference, the meaning of
"in" includes "in" and "on."
As shown in FIGS. 1-6, one embodiment of a disperser includes a
disperser body 110, having a bottom 117, and a cap assembly 120
that is removably attachable to the disperser body 110. The
disperser body 110 and the cap assembly 120 form a substantially
air-tight seal with each other and define a chamber 115 therein. A
sprayer assembly 130 can be integrated with the cap assembly 120
and includes a sprayer trigger 132 that allows spray of a fluid
through a nozzle 122. The trigger 132 allows fluid to spray when
depressed and prevents spray of the fluid when in a normal
position. A springy member 136, such as a piece of foam or a
spring, maintains the trigger 132 in the normal position when not
actively being depressed by a user.
A disposable or reusable collapsible fluid pouch 140 is disposed
within the chamber 115 and is coupled to the sprayer assembly 130
so that fluid from the pouch 140 can be sprayed through the nozzle
122. A gas is used to charge the chamber 115 so that it has a
pressure greater than the ambient air pressure outside of the
disperser body 110. A passage 160 puts the chamber 115 in fluid
communication with a valve 134 that is controlled by the trigger
132. The valve is also in fluid communication with a coupling 170
that is in fluid communication with the pouch 140. In one
embodiment, the coupling 170 (which could be a tube) is configured
to fit a portion of the pouch 140 when the cap assembly 120 is
pressed downwardly to engage the disperser body 110, thereby
placing the coupling 170 in fluid communication with the fluid
contained in the pouch 140.
The valve 134 opens to the nozzle 122 so that when the valve 134 is
in a fully opened state, both the passage 160 and the coupling 170
are in fluid communication with the nozzle 122. As a result, gas
pressure inside the enclosure 115 causes fluid in the collapsible
pouch 140 to flow through the coupling 170 toward the valve 134
while gas from the enclosure 115 flows through the passage 160
toward the valve 134. As the gas passes through the valve 134, the
Venturi effect draws the fluid from the coupling 170 into the gas
stream from the passage 160 so that the gas entrains the fluid and
creates a suspension of gas and fluid, which is then dispersed or
sprayed out of the nozzle 122.
The sprayer assembly 130 can include a nozzle fitting 124 that is
configured to hold the nozzle 122. In this embodiment, the nozzle
122 is replaceable and a plurality of different nozzle types (e.g.,
with different spray patterns) may be couplable with the nozzle
fitting 124.
The pouch 140 may be held in place by a flange 150 that defines an
opening 153 that is complimentary in shape to the pouch 140 and
that defines a plurality of holes 152 passing therethrough that
allow air from the enclosure 115 to flow into the passage 160. The
pouch 140 can contain many different types of fluids, such as
liquids and powders. The disperser 100 is effective for viscous
fluids, such as adhesives, paints and oils because pressure is
applied to the pouch 140 while the gas also draws the fluid out
using the Venturi effect. This allows for the spraying of viscous
fluids with a low pressure propellant. Less viscous fluids, such as
insecticides, cleaners and other household liquids may also be used
with this system.
In the embodiment shown, the disperser body 110 includes an
integrated hand pump assembly to pressurize the enclosure 115 with
ambient air. In this embodiment, the disperser body 110 includes a
first portion 112 that extends to a second portion 114. The second
portion ends in a bottom 111 that includes a first one-way valve
119 (such as a simple flap valve) that allows the passage of air
only in an upward direction. Slidably integrated with the second
portion 114 is a bottom cup 116 that includes a second one-way
valve 118 (also such as a simple flap valve) that also allows the
passage of air only in an upward direction. The cup and bottom 111
define a second enclosure 113 therein. When the cup 116 is pushed
downwardly, air flows through the second one-way valve 118 into the
second enclosure 113 and when the cup 116 is pushed upwardly, that
air is forced through the first one-way valve 119 into the main
enclosure 115.
In another embodiment, a pressurized gas fitting (not shown) may
also be applied to the body 110 to facilitate the connecting of a
supply hose from an air compressor or a gas cylinder to pressurize
the enclosure 115. A pressure regulator may also be used in
association with an air compressor or gas cylinder to achieve an
optimal gas pressure. While air can be the gas used as a propellant
to pressurize the enclosure 115, other gases can also be used, such
as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium, steam or one of many other
gasses selected to be compatible with the fluid being sprayed.
Similarly, a portable air compressor (such as a battery powered
compressor) can be affixed to the body 110 and pressurize the
enclosure 115 through the gas fitting.
As shown in FIG. 7, one embodiment of the pouch 140 includes a
collapsible pouch portion 142 that is coupled to a rigid top
portion 144. The rigid top portion 144 includes a puncture area 148
that is configured to be easily punctured by the coupling 170. The
top portion 144 of the pouch 140 could also be configured to fit
the coupling 170, as with a friction fit or a threaded fit. The
pouch portion 142 and the top portion 144 could both be made of a
plastic that is compatible with the fluid stored therein and the
puncture area 148 could be made of a foil. The top portion 144
includes a lip 146 that extends beyond the pouch portion 142 for
engagement with the flange 150 and the lid assembly 120. The
pouches could be disposable and made of recyclable materials, or
they could be reusable.
As shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, the valve 134 can include a valve stem 180
that defines a hole 182 therethrough. When the valve 134 is fully
closed, as shown in FIG. 8A, no air is allowed to flow through the
passage 160 and no fluid 172 is allowed to flow out of the coupling
170. As the valve 134 begins to open, as shown in FIG. 8B, the hole
182 will align with the passage 160 while the valve stem 180 still
blocks the coupling 170, allowing only air (or other gas) from the
enclosure 115 to pass therethrough. This air will clear the nozzle
122. As the valve 134 continues to move upwardly, as shown in FIG.
8C, the valve stem 182 fully disengages both the passage 160 and
the coupling 170, so that the fluid 172 flows upwardly to the
passage 160 so that the gas entrains the fluid so as to form the
fluid/gas suspension 174. When the spraying ends, this process is
reversed so that initially, the fluid flow is cut off while air is
still allowed out of the nozzle 122, thereby clearing the nozzle
122, then both the air flow and the fluid 172 flow are cut off.
As shown in FIGS. 9A-9B, when a new pouch 140 is placed in the
enclosure, the coupling 170 comes down to puncture the puncture
area 148. Once the coupling 170 passes into the pouch 140, the
fluid 172 flows up through the coupling 170 as the pouch 140
collapses, as shown in FIG. 9B.
This invention is environmentally friendly, as it is re-usable,
thereby greatly reducing the number of aerosol spray cans that are
disposed of in landfills.
It is also safer than many other systems, because the propellant
used is typically non-flammable and non-toxic. The use of a
disposable pouch reduces the mess from spills and leakage
associated with other reusable systems. The system can save
considerable amounts of space as a user would not be required to
have a separate spray can for each type of material to be sprayed,
but only keep separate (much smaller) pouches. Since the system can
use lower pressure air, it also results in a reduction of waste
particulates that are released into the atmosphere.
In a painting application, for example, a plurality of prefilled
pouches may be supplied in which each one has a different paint
color mixture. This application would be particularly useful when
limited amounts of paint of many different colors are required. For
example, in a custom auto body shop, the user would not have to mix
different mixtures in limited amounts for customized spray work,
but would only need to select a pouch containing the desired color
mixture. This would speed up the painting process and would reduce
the mess associated with mixing limited amounts of paint.
As shown in FIG. 10, one embodiment incorporates an on-board
electrically driven air pump 214 that pumps air into the chamber
115 through a vent 216. The pump 214 can be powered with batteries
218 or it can be directly powered with AC power. The battery pack
218 can be removably attachable to the outside of the dispenser
body 110 so that it can be plugged into a battery charger. The
on-board electrically driven air pump 214 can be either internal to
the compartment cavity 115 or it can be an external unit. The air
pump 214 and the battery pack 218 can be part of a single unit. The
rechargeable battery 218 and an input port for an AC to DC adapter
could be placed in the cavity 115 as well.
This embodiment offers several advantages, including: it eliminates
the manual pumping action to pressurize the sprayer; it provides a
continuous flow of sprayed product at constant and consistent
pressure; it produces a consistent particle size distribution over
time; and the replaceable pouch of sprayed liquid can be designed
to hold a greater volume than the manual actuated embodiment when
used with a dispenser of the same size as the manually actuated
embodiment. This is because the manual embodiment must have
sufficient void space to collect and hold the pressurized air to
compress the pouch and spray out the product. The on-board pump
version does not need as much void space.
The above described embodiments, while including the preferred
embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor
at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It
will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from
the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below
rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments
above.
* * * * *